You'd think that being a Police Chief means that you can do police things. Like making an arrest, for instance. But you'd be wrong - at least according to the police union.

Here's the strange tale of how Scranton, Pennsylvania, Police Chief Dan Duffy got into trouble for making a drug arrest:

The Scranton police union has filed an unfair labor practice complaint against the city for an off-duty drug arrest made by Police Chief Dan Duffy in March.

The complaint, which was filed with the state Labor Relations Board on April 14, takes issue with the chief arresting a man who was allegedly in possession of marijuana because the chief is not a member of the collective bargaining unit and was "off duty" when the March 20 arrest was made.

"I think it's absurd. I'm not going to turn my head on crime that takes place," Chief Duffy said. "I took the same oath (as a police officer) that everyone else took.

"On my day off and I'm driving around as the police chief, and that's wrong?" he asked.

The complaint states that "the work of apprehending and arresting individuals has been the sole and exclusive province of members of the bargaining unit," and that the city did not inform or negotiate with the union that the chief would be "performing bargaining unit work."

@Another Tim - I do agree that this went one step too far and I smell personal reasons for the case.

However, you want to know of the usefulness of unions today? Well, you have a middle class with health care, retirement packages, and labor laws. All this came from unions and if unions disappeared, do you honestly believe that these benefits would last more than a generation?

No, what we need is more real unions that fight for a cause when it is necessary. Unless you are happy working for around minimum wage at two part-time jobs to make the rent and pay bills until you are 75?

Oliver: Though it varies from jurisdiction to jurisdiction, nothing outlined in his actions is technically illegal regarding the arrest.

Whether he planned it or not, he's still a cop with arrest DUTIES, on or off the clock.

The biggest issue here is some pretty sketchy union outlines:

'The complaint states that "the work of apprehending and arresting individuals has been the sole and exclusive province of members of the bargaining unit," and that the city did not inform or negotiate with the union that the chief would be "performing bargaining unit work."'

This is a bunch of legalese crap that the union is using to pull something.